Congolese monkey with mask-like face and strong BO is new to science

• 01A monkey found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been named Colobus congoensis and locally known as likweli, marking the fifth new monkey species documented in Africa in the past 75 years.
• 02Kate Detwiler of Florida Atlantic University and colleagues determined the species is distinct based on morphological and genetic analysis of monkeys confiscated from hunters in 2021.
• 03Genetic tests revealed that likweli split from its closest relative, Colobus satanas, approximately 4 to 5 million years ago.
• 04The likweli monkey has a light-colored facial pattern resembling some Asian colobine monkeys, leading researchers to hypothesize it retains ancestral traits from before the African and Asian lineages diverged over 8 million years ago.
• 05Scientists recorded 114 observations of the species between 2018 and 2022, including 25 vocalizations, after first seeing a partial photo in 2008.
• 06Likweli is restricted to an estimated 1,700 square kilometers of rainforest, whereas other members of its genus typically inhabit ranges exceeding 60,000 square kilometers.
• 07The species is isolated from Colobus satanas by more than 1,200 kilometers and major river barriers.
• 08Researchers are proposing that likweli be listed as endangered and granted protected status under national law to prohibit hunting in its range and the surrounding park buffer zone.

These words or phrases carry political, emotional, or ideological loading in the original article. Use Link Launderer to see them highlighted in context.

Researchers have officially recognized Colobus congoensis, locally known as likweli, as a new monkey species in the Democratic Republic of the Congo based on genetic and physical analysis of specimens confiscated from hunters. The species, which exists in a restricted 1,700-square-kilometer range and diverged from its closest relative 4 to 5 million years ago, is proposed for endangered status and legal protection due to threats from bushmeat hunting.